Worth Any Sickness
by jedi.princess.superhero
Summary: A few snippets of the times Ezra has been sick while with the Ghost crew. Family fluff with only a little angst...


**So I've been wanting to write sick Ezra for a while now and I'm not really happy with how it came out but oh well! Also, I looked up illnesses on Wookepedia and found Dust Fever and was like "sweet I can use that" and I don't know anything about it. Literally nothing. So just bear with me because I'm pretty sure I portrayed it wrong...**

 **Anway, enjoy!**

* * *

"I brought dinner," Kanan announced walking in the doorway. Hera put a finger to her lips quickly, and glanced down at Ezra. The teenager was currently curled up next to her, his head resting on her lap.

Her back was against the wall, and she was gently petting through his hair in an attempt to be soothing. She wasn't sure if he'd be letting her do so if he was awake, but she brushed that thought aside.

"If you're not careful, you're going to get sick too." Kanan whispered, placing the two plates he brought on the beside table next to them.

"No I won't," Hera began. "He never got vaccinations as a kid, but I did."

"How do you know?" Kanan asked, sitting across from her on the bedroom.

"I asked him. He told me he never got any. Which means I'm immune to all the illnesses he's susceptible to, and he's susceptible to pretty much all of them." Hera looked down at Ezra again, worried that the conversation would wake him, but he didn't stir.

"So, you know what he has?" Kanan pressed, causing her to look back up at him.

"Sabine thinks it's just Mynock Fever," Hera told him.

"That's good news," Kanan murmured, which caused Hera to glare at him. "I mean it's not good for him obviously, but he'll be fine in a few days."

"He'll be fine this time Kanan," Hera interrupted. "But next time he could catch something serious!"

Ezra made a quiet noise and his brow furrowed. She hadn't meant to raise her voice, but she had almost woken him up.

"Okay, so then we'll make sure he gets his vaccinations," Kanan suggested.

"Easier said than done, love," she shook her head. "We'd have to find a med-station we could trust."

"Or one we could fool," Kanan added, with a small smile. Hera smiled back and began to stroke Ezra'a hair again, wincing at the heat radiating off his skin. "I'm surprised he's letting you do that."

"It's not nice seeing him sick, but it's nice to see him finally accepting comfort." Hera agreed.

"He's always so closed off," Kanan said, his eyes going down to Ezra.

"It's not his fault," Hera murmured, looking back down at him, lovingly.

"All I know is that if our positions were switched, he definitely wouldn't be asleep on me." Kanan grumbled.

Hera examined his face, because from his tone he sounded as though he was completely fine, but Hera could see dissatisfaction in his eyes. Of course, the Jedi Rebel Kanan Jarrus, would try to pretend that he didn't want to be the source of comfort for a fifteen year old boy, when in all actuality he really did.

"You just have to be patient with him, love," Hera smiled at him.

"I am patient with him!" Kanan exclaimed, a little too loudly.

Ezra groaned, and his eyelids fluttered open, frowned at Kanan when Ezra sat up and stretched.

"Hey, kid." Kanan greeted, ignoring Hera's accusatory stare. "How're you feeling?"

"M'okay," Ezra answered, his voice still rough from sleep.

"You hungry?" Hera asked, putting hand on his back. Ezra shook his head as he rubbed his eyes and Hera's heart almost melted at the childlike innocence of his actions.

"My stomach hurts," Ezra admitted with a small pout.

Hera and Kanan exchanged a look. Ezra didn't usually admit when he wasn't feeling good. It had taken them two weeks to even figure out he was sick in the first place. The kid hated showing weakness and always tried to act tough. So, if he said his stomach hurt, he meant it. It was clear Ezra wasn't entirely coherent though, his lidded eyelids were drooping every second.

"Okay, you just get some more rest," Kanan stood up and tried to sound as fatherly as possible. "I'll save some leftovers for you to eat when you feel up to it."

Ezra nodded sleepily and laid back down, but not before mumbling a quiet thanks.

Kanan stopped in his tracks. He couldn't recall a time since Ezra joined them that the kid actually said thank you.

Kanan could understand why. Kids that grow up on the streets don't usually prioritize manners over survival. So, Kanan was genuinely touched by Ezra's small gesture.

"You're welcome," Kanan responded, but Ezra had already nestled himself back on Hera's lap and was oblivious to the world around him.

"He really is a sweet kid," Hera whispered.

"Yeah," Kanan smiled at the sight of Ezra cuddled against Hera. "He really is."

* * *

Kanan hadn't thought this was how his night was going to go.

Hera and Sabine had taken Chopper with them on some mission to try to find a contact on Dantooine, leaving him alone with Ezra and Zeb for a few days. Normally, it wouldn't have been a problem but somehow Ezra had gotten sick.

Kanan probably wouldn't have figured out Ezra was sick, if he hadn't heard Ezra retching from the other room. The walls of the Ghost were thin, and as soon as he recognized the sound as Ezra vomiting, he ran to the fresher door, only to find it locked.

"Ezra?" Kanan called loudly.

"I'm fine, Kanan! I'm-" but the boy was interrupted by his stomach, and Kanan grimaced when he began to puke again. Maybe it was a violation of the boy's privacy, but Kanan couldn't stand listening while Ezra was in pain. With a wave of his hand the door slid open and Kanan was kneeling by Ezra's side in seconds..

"I said I was fine!" Ezra growled weakly, but it was hard to look menacing when he was pale and shaking. Before Kanan could say anything, Ezra doubled over once more, and instinctively Kanan rubbed Ezra's back comfortingly.

Ezra wiped his chin with the back of his hand and breathed out weakly.

"You good?" Kanan asked hesitantly, feeling completely helpless.

"Well, I don't think there's anything left in my stomach for me to puke up. So, I guess." Ezra managed, not meeting Kanan's eyes. In fact he was looking every where but Kanan. And it was only then that the older man realized, Ezra had unwillingly been vulnerable with him, and his walls had been torn down against his will by the situation.

"Okay, how about I get you a bucket to keep by you just in case, and then you go lie down," Kanan suggested casually as Ezra used the counter to pull himself up.

"Zeb's asleep in my room," Ezra said, as he leaned heavily on the wall for support.

"Then you can stay in my room," Kanan suggested. Ezra's eyebrows shot up, and he tried to shake his head.

"No, no. That's-it's okay!" he tried to protest as Kanan led him towards the door.

"Ezra, you're sick. Just let me help you," Kanan ordered, gently. But apparently that has been the wrong thing to say because Ezra pulled himself out of Kanan's grip.

"I can take care of myself!" he snapped, glaring up at his Master.

"I know you can!" Kanan exclaimed putting his hands up in surrender. "But just because you can doesn't mean you have to."

Ezra's gaze softened at that, first in confusion and then in guilt. Kanan turned the kid around and placed a hand in between his shoulder blades, pushing him into the room. It took a little more prodding for Kanan to get Ezra to lay down, but eventually he succeeded and the teenager wrapped the large blanket around himself before curling into a ball.

Kanan turned around from his cabinet to see Ezra dozing, and he immediately regretted what he had to do.

"Ezra, I need you to sit up," Kanan said gently, getting a small noise of non-commitment from Ezra. "Yeah U know you feel bad but I need to check your temperature."

"My temperature's normal. Just let me sleep," Ezra snapped. Kanan sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. How did Hera put up with this? The kid was impossible normally, but now that he was sick, he was ten times worse.

"Ezra, I need you to sit up for just two seconds." Kanan snapped back, suddenly losing his patience. Ezra's eyes opened and he glared at Kanan, before sitting up defiantly. Kanan held out the thermometer for Ezra to take and Ezra snatched it out of his grasp before shoving it under his tongue. It took everything inside Kanan not to lecture Ezra. He kept telling himself to go easy on the kid, but it was hard to do that when Ezra was acting like a five year-old.

"I wish Hera was here," Ezra murmured suddenly, causing Kanan to look up sharply. Now that Kanan got a good look at him, he could see the bags underneath his eyes, and he noticed that Ezra's hair was sticking to his clammy skin. His eyes looked foggy and tired, and overall he just looked miserable.

"I wish she was here too," Kanan admitted with a tense chuckle. "She's much better at this than I am." The thermometer beeped, and Kanan took it from Ezra with a grimace. Ezra had an extremely high fever.

Kanan ran a hand through his hair and sighed. This was going to be a long night. He gave Ezra some fever reducers, which the kid swallowed with no complaint, and gave him a wet wash cloth to rest on his forehead. As he sat next to Ezra, watching the kid try and fail to fall asleep, chills overtaking his body, he began to feel more and more helpless.

He could teach Ezra light saber forms, and meditation, but he had no idea how to comfort him. Hera was the one with the soothing presence. Hera was the one with the gentle touch. Hera was the one with the motherly instinct.

He remembered the first time Ezra had gotten sick and how Hera had stroked his hair and sat beside him and acted as his pillow for almost an entire week. When Ezra shuddered and closed in on himself, Kanan knew he had to do something. He tentatively reached out and placed his hand on the boy's back. Ezra tensed when Kanan began to run comforting circles on his back, and Kanan froze, immediately worried he had crossed a line. But Ezra's eyes remained closed and soon he relaxed into Kanan's touch.

Kanan couldn't help but smile. As Ezra drifted further into the realm of sleep, Kanan sent him feelings of comfort and safety until his breath began to even out. Kanan stayed by Ezra's side until he too eventually fell asleep on the floor, his head resting next to Ezra's on the bedroll.

That's where Hera found them the next morning, both conked out and peaceful.

* * *

Dust Fever had been the final straw. How Ezra had managed to contract it eluded the whole crew, but all they knew was that he had it, and it was bad. He had passed out in the middle of working on the Phantom, and if Zeb hadn't caught him he might have gotten a concussion from banging his head against the metal floor.

Only hours after that, Ezra began to experience the hallucinations.

Kanan had felt his turmoil through their bond even before he heard the screaming and both he and Hera bursted into his room immediately. Ezra was sobbing into his pillow, clawing at his arms, screaming at some enemy neither of them could see. In an instant, Hera had wrapped her arms around him and tucked his head against her chest. Murmuring soft words of encouragement until he slumped against her, completely exhausted from the spell.

"Set course to the nearest med-station," Hera ordered, as Ezra quietly sobbed into his hands.

"Hera," Kanan began, with a warning tone.

"Do it, Kanan! He needs help!" she demanded, not even caring about keeping quiet. Kanan nodded and ran out, but not before sparing one last glance at Ezra before leaving.

The next few hours on the way to the medical station were some of the scariest hours of their lives. Ezra was constantly murmuring nonsense, clawing at himself and pulling his hair. Both Hera and Kanan kept constant vigil at his side, holding him still when he trashed and petting through his hair when he cried.

The amount of times he cried out for his parents became overwhelming, and just when Hera didn't think she could take it anymore Kanan reached out and laid a hand on the boy's top warm forehead. His brows were furrowed in concentration and after a few seconds Ezra relaxed, breathing easier than before with a peaceful look on his face.

"Next time, you're doing that earlier." Hera teased, even though her entire body was stiff with tension.

"There's not going to be a next time," Kanan declared. "We're getting him vaccinated."

Hera nodded seriously, and tucked the blanket for securely around Ezra.

"I hate this," she whispered.

"I know," Kanan murmured. "I hate it too."

"He's so young, Kanan. And he has so many demons. I-I don't know how to help him," Hera admitted looking up at Kanan with shining eyes. He could understand. When they had first picked up Ezra, they both hurt for the kid. But the more they got to know him, the more their hearts broke. They knew was so protective of himself only because his trust had been broken so many times. Every time he flinched whenever Zeb reached out to playfully nudge him, or whenever he stared at a simple meal with awe and thankfulness, or whenever he cracked a joke to cover up his pain both Hera and Kanan's compassion grew.

"I think what you've been doing is enough, Hera," Kanan assured resting his hand over hers. "You're there for him. You care about him."

"But I'm not sure if he know's that," Hera said.

"He does." Kanan immediately protested.

"Even if he does, I don't think he lets himself believe it," Hera mumbled, sadly.

Before Kanan could answer, Ezra stirred and sluggishly forced his eyes open. He let out a harsh cough and tried to sit up.

"Mom?" Ezra whispered, looking around. Kanan and Hera exchanged a glance, and both of their eyes widened. He really was out of it.

"No, love. It's Hera. Don't worry, you're going to be okay," Hera assured taking his hand despite his lax grip.

"Hera? I'm sorry. I-I thought you were...sorry." Ezra blinked, his eyes shining with sudden clarity and now shame.

"It's okay, Ezra," she assured, with a small smile.

"We're almost to the med-station. Do you think you can stand?" Kanan asked, gently.

Ezra made a face, and pushed himself up. Impulsively, the kid kicked his legs over the side and tried to stand.

Kanan winced sympathetically when he immediately teetered, and went to catch him when he fell.

Ezra's tightly gripped Kanan's shirt and Kanan wrapped his arm around Ezra's middle to hold him up.

"Sorry," he muttered, completely leaning on Kanan.

"You've got to stop apologizing, kid." Kanan said with a fond smile.

"Sorry," Ezra said instinctively. "Wait! No, I meant-" he broke up into a coughing fit and Hera and Kanan couldn't help but exchange a smile.

There was a small moment of silence as Kanan led Ezra to the cargo bay, and Hera followed in suit. Kanan could feel Ezra's unease through the Force, and tried his best to reassure him.

"Um, I want to thank you guys for always taking care of me. You-you don't have to so it means a lot to me," Ezra managed. Both Hera and Kanan practically melted on the spot.

"Of course, kid," Kanan smiled.

"We'll always be there for you, Ezra," Hera promised as she wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

Ezra ducked his head to hide the smile that had immediately formed on his face, and to hide he tears of joy that were beginning to gather. He had finally found a family, and that was worth any sickness in the whole galaxy.


End file.
